V8 swap *the easy way!* - General Ranger Discussion - Welcome To Our Ford Ranger Forum

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VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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So the title may be a tad misleading, but I've been thinking about a v8 swap a lot recently. More specifically, selling Lola and purchasing a 1991 Ford Ranger with a 1995 mustang 302 and 5 speed manual transmission, basically my dream truck. Now, I understand it's a risky thing to jump into someone else's project and normally I wouldn't even consider this at all, but it looks extremely complete, so much so that the registration just went out a couple months ago so that tells me it was on the road fairly recently. I'm going to look at it on Saturday, and was wanting some help on what I should look for/ask about the build. I'm going to ask if the gauges are functional, look for recent leaks or â€œover cleaningâ€ of the engine bay to hide possible leakage, I'm going to drive it and feel how it shifts and stops, look at the brakes/tires, ask about the history and why he's selling. And suggestions for what I should ask or look for would be appreciated. Here are some pictures:

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1983 Ranger, reluctantly taking apart. Donor/project vehicle.

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1984 Ranger, currently in â‰ˆ861 pieces. Sheâ€™s donating whatâ€™s salvageable.

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Posted: Wed Jul 24th, 2019 10:30 am

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Idahome

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Looks to be well done for sure!!
The outside is very clean and it is put together well, usually this kind of POI (pride in ownership) will carry into the engine bay and interior.
It has all the right things going for it.

That is not a stock 91 ranger brake booster, so it looks like the rear disc brake conversion was done including the booster and master cylinder, this is a nice touch.

Just check for the usual frame damage/ bondo to make sure it wasn't resurrected from a wreck (I doubt it not with those body lines)

Make sure you have wipers, lights, turn signals, the heater works, AC works, etc etc

Does it get hot? with the AC on in Texas and that V6 radiator, and auto transmission with electric fan, how well does it stay cool? I know alot of V8 Gen I trucks will struggle to maintain water temps under 215 degrees with an E fan, V8 auto trans and AC running in stop and go traffic...

From what I can see if the price is right I would jump all over it since you dream of building something like this here is your chance! It looks to be a way above average conversion into that Gen I. I like it very much!

Let us know what you decide

Last edited on Wed Jul 24th, 2019 10:33 am by 410customs

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Posted: Wed Jul 24th, 2019 03:59 pm

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VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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I was hoping you would reply!! Thank you! Okay, so theoretically let's say it does get a little hot, would that be a relatively easy fix like just swapping in a new radiator that can handle the heat from the 302? What I plan on doing is driving it, and then while we're driving go at slower speeds and then seeing if the guy will let me get into it a little bit and then after we park it let it idle for a while while I check the body/frame and stuff, then check the temperature gauge and see if it's rises.

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Posted: Wed Jul 24th, 2019 05:26 pm

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Idahome

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If it gets hot them you get a better cooling fan with more speeds and a full shroud to cover 100% of the surface area of the radiator.
You can also tuck the radiator under the core support giving you room for a mechanical fan.
There are lots of ways to cool a 302 in a gen I ranger
That radiator should handle it, the key is getting enough air moving through it even during stop n go traffic, in Texas with the ac on....that has always been the challenge. Many electric fans come up short of that goal...But these newer cars have 2-3 even 4 speed fans these days and they are slim and can MOVE some air.
Since I like to 4x4 in the desert I have stuck with a mechanical fan...

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Posted: Wed Jul 24th, 2019 06:26 pm

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VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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Okay awesome. I'll see if it overheats on Saturday. Also, are those mustang gauges?? If so then I would feel more comfortable about the gauges being correct. I'd have to check the rear gear ratio on the axle and tire sizes on mustangs to try and correct the Speedo if it is wrong.

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Posted: Wed Jul 24th, 2019 09:48 pm

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Idahome

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the gauges look to be factory 91 Ranger with a white face overlay installed

with a 95 mustang based 302 installed they should have simply installed the 91 Ranger coolant temp and oil pressure switches, so those gauges should work like stock.
The speedometer is simple vss mounted in the tailhousing of the transmission in both 95 and 91, so there is no reason the speedometer should not be accurate. The ranger is likely using the 91 style vss and drive cable simply installed in the mustang transmission
If the speedometer accuracy is off, it can be corrected with a different speedometer drive gear.
The rear axle coming from a disc brake explorer is most likely 3.73 ration but it could be 3.55 or 4.10, most gen II explorers were 3.73

The tachometer is the one gauge that needs some re working to work properly with the V8 tach signal
On the back of the 91 instrument cluster he should have moved the wire from the 6 cyl position to the 8 cyl position and that should make it read correctly.
If that did not work or was not possible on the 91 instrument cluster the fix is to install the tachometer head from any 302/351 F150 or bronco from 88-96.
That way the 91 tachometer will read like the ranger came from the factory with a 302

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Posted: Wed Jul 24th, 2019 11:03 pm

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VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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Okay sweet, so the little things I'm worried about are fairly simple easy fixes it sounds like. I may refer back to you on some help with any of those things, provided I need to do them. Thanks again, I will check back in on Saturday after 10am. :thumbsup:

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Posted: Thu Jul 25th, 2019 09:26 am

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Idahome

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good luck! I really like the color and the truck overall! I hope it works out!

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Posted: Sat Jul 27th, 2019 04:49 am

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Bird76Mojo
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A decent looking 2nd gen for sure.

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Posted: Sat Jul 27th, 2019 09:46 am

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Idahome

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89-91 are gen II? Okay got it 83-88 gen I
So 93-97 are gen III rangers and 98-11 gen IV? thanks for the lesson!

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Posted: Sat Jul 27th, 2019 03:39 pm

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Bird76Mojo
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The commonly accepted generations are as you typed, as far as gen 1 and gen 2.

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Posted: Sun Jul 28th, 2019 12:33 pm

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JAMMAN

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so what are the gens according to your studies on the rest (later models)?

There has been some confusion across the forum world as the exact separation.

I think 98 to 2000 should be in their own category!

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Posted: Sun Jul 28th, 2019 02:32 pm

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Idahome

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to me 83-90 is the same truck, the front fascia changed, dash changed but I can see the split due to the end of the 2.8, 2.9 and the start of the 4.0
but it was still the same cab
In 93 they went to the larger cab
In 97 was end of TTB and
98 start of IFS
01 first year of sohc, otherwise the 98-11 trucks are all very similar cab / dash /frame wise
So the way I would do it is like version
83-88 1.0
89-92 1.5
93-97 2.0
98-11 3.0

LOL but I may see things a little differently then the rest of the world...cosmetic changes do not count

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Posted: Mon Jul 29th, 2019 11:20 am

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Bird76Mojo
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The 2nd gens (89+) used completely different front fenders, hood, grille, headlights, turn signals, lower front filler panel, front bumper, lower air dam, and that's just the outside..

You go to change out all of those parts and it's a bit more than a quick morning job.. You quickly realize that it's quite the undertaking, especially with the fenders being different.

So even though some call it a cosmetic change, with it being as difficult as it is, and with so many parts changing, I think it qualifies as a split between the 1st gen and the 2nd gen Ranger.

Anyway, that's been the commonly accepted dividing line between them for 30 years now. Every junkyard I've ever been to agrees with me on that as well. Not to mention all of the other forums I'm on. This is the only forum I've seen anyone divide up the gens differently. lol

Come to think of it, the F150's were done much the same way. Divided up by major cosmetic changes.

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Posted: Tue Jul 30th, 2019 10:34 am

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Idahome

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Yes the 89+ also has more room for the radiator and fan then the earlier 83-88

I did not divide them up differently, this is the first time I ever tried to sort that out? Don't take it as gospel......I am here to learn just the same as everyone else which is why I ask and I say "Thanks for the lesson"

I only ever use the year I'm working on to order parts...you say "Gen III Ranger" and like 40 people on this planet know what you mean but you say 93 ranger and there is no guesswork

Saturday came and went. I wonder if he bought the truck?

Last edited on Tue Jul 30th, 2019 10:35 am by 410customs

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Posted: Tue Jul 30th, 2019 11:35 pm

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VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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Unfortunate news, friends. No 1991 ranger in the car port. The guy who was going to buy my truck ghosted me on Saturday, and then I talked to him on Monday and he said Dodge called him and said he could get a good deal on a used truck, so he contacted them and told me today he wasn't sure he was going to get my truck, he's â€œscaredâ€ of the payments and stuff and I said â€œwell, if you bought my truck there wouldn't be any paymentsâ€ and then walked off (we work together) and so I'm most likely going to keep Lola in the family for a little while longer and start saving up money to get her 100% the way I want just to kinda rub it in his face/get back at him for leaving me high and dry and looking like an idiot on Saturday when I went to look at the truck. If he would've bought my truck I would be driving a 1991 ranger.

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Posted: Tue Jul 30th, 2019 11:47 pm

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VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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As for the 91 ranger, the brakes were nearly nonexistent. I didn't leave 2nd gear and my foot went to the floor. Not a single gauge worked, and he had a water temp gauge wired in but after driving it for 5ish minutes and opened the hood it felt really hot. He said the front accessories were from an f150, aftermarket carb, the master cylinder was stock ranger (so he says) and the radiator was from an f150 (it looked puny in there but idk) and when I went to go in reverse it wouldn't let me, it was just grinding reverse. Also, the throttle return spring (I think it's called that) was super stiff and i nearly had to smash the gas pedal to get anything and then when I went to shift it Was like the truck died when i took my foot off the gas, he said that was because of the stiff spring.

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Posted: Wed Jul 31st, 2019 10:04 am

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Idahome

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sounds like a basket case!! So everything happens for a reason, sounds like the 89 needs some serious help
The 302 maybe not making enough vacuum for those brakes or they are just plain worn out. Grinding into reverse? no thank you!! No gauges work? geesh who did the 5.0 in that thing? Sounds like a disaster. What you do not want is somebody elses headache

You can always convert your current ranger to a 5.0, then you know what you are getting
Its just time and $$$

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Bird76Mojo

Posted: Wed Jul 31st, 2019 06:25 pm

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VelociRanger
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Yeah, I agree. It was nice though, it was nice to hear the v8 coming from the truck. But, Mr. 410, if I remember correctly in Texas the â€œswap lawsâ€ and emissions laws that correspond with that, require that in order to have a â€œlegalâ€ swap the engine and drivetrain have to come from the same year vehicle or newer. For example, if I want to put a 4.0 in my truck from another ranger it has to be from 2008 and up. I could be mistaken though I'll have to look into it more. Plus, the PATS issue I had in the past scares me away from messing with anything on the engine lol.

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Posted: Wed Jul 31st, 2019 06:27 pm

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VelociRanger
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BUUTTT, any 5.0 that goes into my trust MUST have a standard transmission. I love driving a standard, I love seeing people's faces when they see a 22 year old driving a standard and driving well. It's funny.

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Posted: Sat Aug 3rd, 2019 04:08 am

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Bird76Mojo
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I wasn't aware that Texas had such strict emission laws on the books. Surprising for a state that claims to be one of the most freedom based states in the union.. I've never read anything like that online before. I was even trying to buy a 1st gen Ranger from Texas that was 302 swapped a couple years ago, and the seller had it tagged and fully legal. Carbed too..

I know that California has some really stupid emission laws about swaps though. Such as the engine having to come from the same year of vehicle (ridiculous!) and the emissions on the swapped vehicle has to be equal to or better than it was from the factory for it to pass their emission testing..

Last edited on Sat Aug 3rd, 2019 04:09 am by Bird76Mojo

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Posted: Sat Aug 3rd, 2019 06:41 pm

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VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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Key words - 1st gen ranger. In Texas, a vehicle over 20 years old no longer has to pass emissions testing and only safety, so like the blinkers, headlights, brake lights, tires, and parking brake for manual transmissions. And what you were explaining about how California's laws are ridiculous is basically how it is here for Texas. The truck I was looking at was a 1991 which makes it 28 years old and smog exempt, so the 302 in it was perfectly legal.

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Posted: Sat Aug 3rd, 2019 06:48 pm

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Bird76Mojo
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The requirement that the engine has to come from the same year of vehicle is the dumbest thing I've ever read in emission laws. There's literally no good reason for it.

If I want to put an early 1900's straight 8 in 2000 model year vehicle I should be able to, as long as I build it to run clean enough. IN ANY STATE.

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Posted: Sat Aug 3rd, 2019 06:49 pm

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VelociRanger
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I believe you are correct and I am wrong. Here are the requirements, I may have been reading something else entirely when I looked it up first.

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Posted: Sat Aug 3rd, 2019 09:31 pm

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Tsquare
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In GA any engine that was not originally available can get an emissions waiver. Big items here are Isuzu diesels in F150's and VW Diesels or 5.0's into Rangers.

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